Micro-Numismatic Quiz #14 Answered.

Insider2

Sorry, no prizes

I am going to be posting micrographs of anything that can be found on coins. Some will be easy and some will not. The correct answer is whatever I say it is but feel free to disagree (giving your reason) so all of us can discuss it. Images will be posted in this thread at my discretion - several each week. I will usually post the answers late the next day after the quiz was posted.

In order to make this FUN for beginners. I'll ask the "experts" to PLEASE not guess what any of the images are until the next day. Otherwise, folks like (fill in the blank) will get all of them immediately - That's NO FUN. If no correct answer is given by the next day, the "experts" should PLEASE respond. The answer for each image will usually be posted in the afternoon when I add another image.

The Rules:

1.Anyone can guess. That's because even an incorrect guess can open further discussion as to why it is incorrect.
2.The BEST guess is in two parts:

A. What characteristic the image shows.
B. What did you see in the image that led to your guess.

The Question: What micro-characteristic do you see on this coin's surface? What does it usually signify? This is a hard one.

The Images:

asheland

Artificial toning?

Hemispherical

Looks like something on the relief to make all those weird spidery scratchy patterns. I do not know why, but it looks like shellac that cracked.

Bottom pic: A zoom in on the torso has a curled “hair” or fiber (about 9 o’clock).

MikeInFL

The small hair in the second photo keeps drawing my eye, as does the mottled toning and marks.....but I do see some elements of deformation on the high points that remind me of some other coin as if this coin was placed on another and got some of the detail imparted to it.

Another interesting thread, Insider. Thanks for taking the time....Mike

Insider2

@Hemispherical said:
Looks like something on the relief to make all those weird spidery scratchy patterns. I do not know why, but it looks like shellac that cracked.

Bottom pic: A zoom in on the torso has a curled “hair” or fiber (about 9 o’clock).

Good eye!

Insider2

@MikeInFL said:
The small hair in the second photo keeps drawing my eye, as does the mottled toning and marks.....but I do see some elements of deformation on the high points that remind me of some other coin as if this coin was placed on another and got some of the detail imparted to it.

Another interesting thread, Insider. Thanks for taking the time....Mike

Good eye!

Insider2

It has been suggested that this is AT. Reasons?

Akbeez

Fugly comes to mind -- AT to make more attractive? Thinking copper with all the CuSO4. The strands look fiberous, as if they grew onto the surface -- crystalline.

Insider2

@asheland said: "Artificial toning"

It is AT, The tiny string shapes were fibers left on the coin possibly from a chemically impregnated rag the coin was placed on.

Hemispherical

@Insider2 said:
@asheland said: "Artificial toning"

It is AT, The tiny string shapes were fibers left on the coin possibly from a chemically impregnated rag the coin was placed on.

Since it is T-Day, maybe the toning occurred in the oven to expedite the process. Over cooked turkey/coin.

Akbeez

Thanks Insider for the brain-teaser. Happy Turkey!!

asheland

The AT looks like it’s covering an altered surface to me.

Akbeez

Post a full-coin pic? Just what did the AT do?

kaz

Another very interesting challenge! Thanks, Insider.

Hemispherical

@Insider2 Thanks for these quizzes and your great articles in Numi News.